The royal capital was a place of a thousand faces.
That was one of the few descriptions I remembered from the novel that brought me into this world.
When I first read it, I dismissed the author's words as nonsense. His writing focused too much on the protagonist, offering explanations without ever conveying the actual sensation of the place itself.
But after seeing it with my own eyes, I understood—he hadn't been lying.
I could feel the vitality swirling constantly through the city—through the trade, the children playing in the streets, and even the secluded, quiet alleys where the poor lived. It stood in stark contrast to the brief explanation he had given.
My mouth opened slightly, creating a small gap. "Wow... This place is so crowded," I murmured.
My gaze slowly shifted forward. There were two to three horse carriages being cleaned by coachmen dressed in brown, waiting nearby. These carriages were nothing like the ones I remembered from the novel in my old world—luxurious designs of white and gold, red sofas facing each other inside, and two neatly groomed horses standing proudly in front.
I glanced with a listless gaze.
What I saw now was entirely different. What awaited me was a square, black cage—similar to the one I had been kept in before being sold—mounted on four wooden wheels. And instead of two neatly groomed horses, there was only a single, listless one, flies swarming around it.
I sighed deeply. Don't the higher-ups in the slave prison here think about improving their facilities?
My eyes looked up, to the side. 'Even though, if I think about it... the income they get per year is very large.'
Earlier, I had seen that the lowest price for a slave was around 100 Gold. With proper use of that income, they could easily afford two or three luxurious carriages.
I sighed, my shoulders drooping as I stared at the carriage being prepared.
Besides, who would want to provide luxurious facilities just for a 'Slave'?
If there were, that person would probably only become a laughing stock. A brief entertainment for the higher-ups who felt safe because they were never in the same position, just like in my old world.
Not long after, the pull from the chain that bound me began to be felt. The sound of iron clashing against each other sounded briefly.
At the very front, the Slave Guard turned around. He raised his hand to the neck of the slave behind him, gripping the shackle tightly, veins bulging as he tore it off with brute force.
My eyes widened. Crazy... his strength is so overpowered.
After releasing the shackle on the neck of the slave in front of him, now he seemed to want to release the hand part as well. This was seen when his hand slowly lowered, his body slightly bent, trying to align his hand with the hand of the slave in front of him.
As for the method, it was still the same as before—using his monster strength to forcibly open the shackle that locked the hand of the slave in front of him.
After the handcuffs were removed, he immediately directed the slave to the carriage. His manner was far from friendly—no guiding hand, no gentle treatment. He merely gestured for the slave to take three steps, no more. Then his foot was pulled back, and with a hard shove, the slave was launched forward like a spring.
The kick he did earlier produced a little smoke, the slave in front was pushed to the end of the cage, bumped into the cell wall, fell, and of course right in the position it should be.
Because of the strength of the "Slave Guard's" kick in front, it made some people around, ordinary citizens, peek with fear. And the person who had just received the special service, made a thank you sound that was clearly heard, "Ugh..."
I swallowed my saliva. My heart was pounding fast. Will I receive such special service?
Anyone who claimed not to fear such treatment was lying. The slave's face alone—cold sweat, lips drawn inward as if biting into something sour—was proof enough.
The "Slave Guard" in front seemed to look at us in order, from the front to me in the back. A rough snort coming out of his black mask looked like a bull ready to charge. His hand slowly raised, his wrist lowered down, until he lowered his index finger, telling the next person to come forward without having to speak.
The next person who got the turn, swallowed his own saliva. Looking from below, the "Slave Guard" in front of him. Before receiving special service, as usual both shackles were opened first. Then after that, the slave without further ado stepped forward three steps like the previous slave, and received special service like before to the appropriate cell.
The process continued, one by one the slaves stepped forward and received the same treatment. Watching from where I stood, I wanted to run. My feet instinctively stepped back, but the Slave Guard behind me blocked my path with his massive body. My head looked up, and he was now looking at me, below, with a hurried breath like the "Slave Guard" in front.
I smiled bitterly. Damn.
Because there was no other choice, I continued to move forward following the steps of my fellow slaves. Several people before me had received special service, with full gratitude, until it felt like it was my turn now.
I took a step forward. The "Slave Guard" in front of me was about to open the part on my neck. In between that, I joined my hands that were still in shackles, clenched, while lowering my gaze inward.
I pursed my lips, pressing them from the inside. My eyes were closed, pressed tightly.
God... please save me. I promise to be a good child after this...
Cling... Klak...
Cling... Klak...
I opened my eyes. I saw the shackle on my hand had fallen to the rocky ground, broken into several parts. Then after that I felt my neck, the shackle that bound it was gone. I only felt the bruise marks, pink, from the shackle that had been tightly binding my neck all this time.
From there I already knew that I was free, but not completely. And also I already knew, that next was the special service session.
The people who were my fellows earlier started looking at me from afar. Most of them had woken up, caressing their bruised blue backs, while looking at me from a distance. And some of the others were still unconscious, not moving.
I sighed briefly, reassuring myself. Then like the others, I started to step. Every step that came out, made my feet tremble. Until I stopped, when three steps had been taken.
I sighed again, longer. I looked straight ahead, seeing the three horse carriages that were waiting. Come on, be brave.
Among the three horse carriages, I looked one by one. The one on the far right, it contained quite a lot of slaves, around six people. In the middle, it contained three people. And the one on the far left, it was still completely empty. If my speculation was correct.
I will definitely be on the far left.
Not long after, the "Slave Guard" behind me seemed to be doing something. I didn't dare to look back, because I was afraid that when he was kicking me and I turned around, I would get hit in my vital point.
I kept waiting, the touch on my back was felt. I thought he was measuring the distance of his kick from my back.
I closed my eyes, then sighed briefly. Alright...' A look full of conviction came out. 'I'm ready!
His grip on my back got stronger. I also started to feel his body getting closer to my back. Heavy breaths came in and out through his black mask. Then, instead of getting a kick, I only got a push, a little strong, but not making me get thrown.
He was more towards directing me, walking a few steps to the left according to my speculation, and pushing me in, without any coercion at all.
My face froze, the people who had felt the special service earlier, their eyes widened, their mouths slightly open.
"Eh?"
The guard behind me pushed the slave cage door on the first carriage shut.
A moment later, the guard who put me in without resistance closed my cell door. In the horse carriage next door, the second order cage door also closed, accompanied by the same cold metal sound.
The sound of metal that was heard, woke me from my frozen feeling. I glanced to the side, and saw those people were gnashing their teeth, their eyes glaring, with their faces turning red.
Whispers among them began to be heard.
"Why isn't he treated like us?"
"Isn't this unfair?"
"He should get hit too."
"Yes, that's right."
Their hateful gazes were directed straight at me.
I turned my gaze forward—trying to ignore them, then filled my dry throat with my own saliva.
After that, the two "Slave Guards" reached into their pants pockets, took out a long black chain, and a padlock at the end. Without further ado, the chain was wrapped around each of the three doors. And one by one the cell doors.
Klick! Klick!
Klick!
Locked tightly.
The two "Slave Guards" then visited each horse carriage driver. They gave the keys that were used to open the cell doors, about three pieces, to each driver who brought the horse carriage.
Each driver who had gotten the keys, started going to each horse carriage. They got on, then sat down, in a place that had been specially provided for them.
Not long after, their hands were already gripping a rope that connected directly to one horse, in each place. The rope was lifted for a split second, and lowered quickly, like a signal to the horse.
The horses whinnied—softly—simultaneously, and the three horse carriages moved from their places. My horse carriage turned, heading to the left. And the two carriages, whose people had received special service earlier, turned in the opposite direction.
I sighed in relief, seeing those who were not heading in the same direction as me. My gaze fell to the rocky road below—rough pieces that passed quickly, vibrating subtly along with the horse carriage's speed.
"... Finally, I'm free from their gazes," I murmured.
My gaze lifted forward. Buildings huddled together, forming narrow alleys. Mossy white bricks made up the bottom part, while the white walls above were interspersed with wooden frames that held its shape.
From the various buildings, my eyes caught a building that was slightly wider than the others, and of course that was the place I departed from earlier. There, I still saw the "Slave Guards" earlier, gradually looking small from here. And not far from them, there was one person who seemed to be doing minimalist movements.
I narrowed my eyes, and saw a little clearly the person who was doing it.
My eyes widened, "Uncle?"
The movement he was doing, looked like a wave to me. With his other hand, which covered part of his mouth, and formed the letter "C", making it clear that he was saying goodbye to me.
I smiled thinly, then slowly showed my teeth, with a wave of my hand following. "GOODBYE TOO, UNCLE!"
The uncle who saw it from afar, stopped his wave. A thin smile, followed after. "That naughty kid..." he murmured.
I waved my hand for a while. Until the uncle who was slowly no longer visible, I stopped it.
My body, slowly turned towards the back. Looking at the people who were passing by in front, from the side of the horse carriage cell gap that kept moving.
I smiled thinly, amidst my hair being combed by the gentle wind.
I can't wait to see the face of the person I will serve!